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🐾 Thanks to the swift and compassionate intervention by our dedicated Rescue Team, along with the expert care provided by the veterinary professionals at our Pet Health Centers, Forest has made remarkable progress since arriving at our no-kill campus. This senior pup came to us in critical condition, but through patience, precision, and love, he’s now on a hopeful path to recovery.

After undergoing a comprehensive series of diagnostic tests to assess his condition, Forest was treated to a soothing day of grooming courtesy of our nurturing Grooming Team — a well-deserved break that brought some sparkle back into his spirit and transformed him into quite the dapper gentleman. His wounds, while still healing, have responded positively to treatment and continue to improve steadily under watchful medical supervision.

👨‍⚕️ Dr. Mark Verdino, Animal League America’s Senior Vice President and Chief of Veterinary Staff, shared insight into Forest’s complex orthopedic challenges. “We consulted with an orthopedic surgeon, and the only viable surgical approach would be to fuse all the affected joints in his front limbs, hoping for acceptable functionality afterward. However, the chance of Forest regaining his ability to walk with this procedure is less than 50%, and given the strain of recovery, I’m reluctant to pursue surgery.”

Instead, the team is choosing a more compassionate and practical path. Forest will be custom-fitted for a front limb mobility cart, which will allow him to move with greater ease and independence. “Once he gets acclimated,” Dr. Verdino added, “most dogs adapt well, and while his limbs may still appear abnormal, the cart will grant him mobility and restore a sense of freedom and dignity.”

😢 It’s likely Forest was abandoned due to his serious orthopedic issues, which had left him unable to stand or walk normally for quite some time. But in our care — supported by the world’s largest no-kill rescue and adoption organization — Forest now has the time, resources, and love he needs to begin healing from this traumatic chapter in his life.

It remains uncertain whether Forest will ever regain full physical function, but one thing is absolutely clear: he will be given every chance to thrive and rediscover joy. 💖 Thanks to the generosity of our loyal donors and supporters, Forest — along with countless animals in similar need — receives the individualized, long-term medical attention they truly deserve. It’s only through the power of your kindness that we can continue to change lives, one paw at a time.

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